Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Trump Seizes On Deaths Of U.S. Troops And Border Crisis; Kirby: Biden Not Looking At Polling As He Weighs War Strategy; Blinken Hold Press Conference With NATO Secretary General; King Charles And Princess Of Wales Back Home After Surgeries. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired January 29, 2024 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:33:56]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Congress is clashing over a border deal while President Biden grapples with the escalating conflict in the Middle East. And the 2024 Republican frontrunner taking full advantage of the situation.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: That's right. The former president is blaming what he calls Biden's weakness for the attack that killed three U.S. soldiers in Jordan. Trump is also trying to tank a Senate compromise deal that might ease problems on the southern border.

So let's discuss this with CNN's Alayna Treene and also CNN's chief national affairs correspondent, Jeff Zeleny. Let's talk, Alayna, first with Trump using this Jordan attack to go after President Biden this week. You were at his rally in Nevada this weekend where he really went in on him. Talk about what happened.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: He did. Well, first of all, I think Nevada was the perfect place for Donald Trump to make that pivot to a general election. It's a state that both he and his campaign feel like they've already won because Nikki Haley isn't even on the ballot for the caucus there. And so you really saw Donald Trump escalate his rhetoric toward Joe Biden.

[15:35:00]

But when it comes to this attack, you know, it plays very much into Donald Trump's key general election message, which is that Biden is a weak and incapable leader. That's what he continues to call him both on the trail and on social media and argue that under Joe Biden, the United States is heading into World War III. And it's not just domestically, but the world is not as safe of a place under him.

Of course, the blame is something that I think a lot of people are saying Trump is wrong on. He shouldn't be going as far in this rhetoric, all these things about how these wars would have started, whether it's Israel, Ukraine or what happened with the soldiers in Jordan. It's all something, though, that I know when I talk to voters, they do believe they really do believe that under Trump, the world was safer, that Donald Trump is a leader, a strong leader who maybe could do better when it comes to foreign policy. And it's an argument that works with Republicans. But again, this was a general election speech that Donald Trump was giving on Saturday in Nevada. And he's continuing to try and push. And it's unclear still, I think, if general voters are buying that rhetoric from him.

SANCHEZ: Conversely, Jeff, at the White House a short while ago, the NSC spokesperson, John Kirby, became animated when reporters asked him about Joe Biden weighing the political factor, the 2024 election, when deciding how to respond to these attacks in Jordan. We actually have a clip of it. Let's play it now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is an election year. Is the president looking at his polling when he's weighing all of these options? Is the president looking at what?

JOHN KIRBY, NSC COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: Goodness, that's a heck of a question.

He's not looking, ma'am, ma'am, ma'am. Let me just stop you right there. Commander in chief is not looking at polling or considering the electoral calendar when he's defending.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How they feel about the war on Gaza.

KIRBY: Now, can I answer the question? He's not looking at political calculations or the polling or the electoral calendar as he works to protect our troops ashore and our ships at sea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: This issue has a multitude of dimensions that carry significance for President Biden, not the least of which is the fact that his son served overseas.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And look, there are many powers of incumbency, also many challenges of incumbency. And this is first and foremost among them.

The commander in chief has to make decisions regardless of if we're 10 months before an election or a week before an election or what. So from an outsider, it's very easy to sort of throw attacks like Donald Trump did, as Joe Biden did when Trump was the president. So that's just how it works.

But watching John Kirby there reminds me so much of other presidents in these positions here. Everyone thinks and wonders if election polling, you know, is guiding decisions. If that were the case, he probably would have already called for a ceasefire, at least among his left flank, because there's no doubt that the White House and President Biden are losing support and losing this coalition. It's really fraying that brought him into office.

But look, President Biden, Vice President Biden, Senator Biden, been around this town for a very long time, sometimes in power, sometimes out of power. He's had a pretty straight line in terms of his foreign policy.

But there is no doubt that the question was about is polling guiding things. But the consequence of its of his decision is going to guide polling. So regardless of if he's driven by this, it still has an effect in this election year.

KEILAR: And Americans care and elected officials should care about what Americans care about, you know, whether you pose it as political or whatnot.

ZELENY: And when he calls the family members of those three members identified today, it's impossible to separate the reality from that.

KEILAR: We had a Republican congressman, Michael Waltz, former Green Beret, served in the Middle East on earlier. And he and I think this is -- he was projecting what I think Trump is trying to project, which is this idea that Trump was bold. He took out Soleimani. Peace broke out, except peace didn't break out. There were proxy attacks after that. American service members died in the months, just a couple of months after that. It's just not -- the facts don't bear it out.

But what strikes me as strange, Jeff, is that we're in a really weird place in politics, that this is you know, you don't really normally expect your politicians to be arguing over the bodies of dead soldiers. And yet, in a way, that's a little bit where we are. And it's uncomfortable and unbecoming.

ZELENY: It's certainly uncomfortable. And the lines are drawn in very different ways. This is not a Republican and a Democratic aligned thing.

I mean, the foreign policy in the era of Donald Trump has changed tremendously. And this is, I think, one example of that. You have sort of people on the hawkish side, so like Lindsey Graham and others saying attack Tehran, basically.

Some other Republican talking heads and conservative thinkers are like, you know, that's lunacy. So this is a very unusual time. And the protests we see at President Biden's rally are from the insides. Those are sort of progressive protesters.

[15:40:00]

We're used to seeing antiwar protesters. But on the other side, I'm thinking back to George W. Bush and the Iraq protesters.

So the politics of all of this is so curious with the concentric circles and strange alliances here. It's unlike anything I've seen in at least two decades in Washington.

SANCHEZ: We haven't said the word unprecedented enough when talking about this election cycle.

Alayna Treene, Jeff Zeleny, thank you both so much. Appreciate it.

Still to come, could Alex Murdaugh get a new trial? What one juror said in their testimony today could help the convicted killer secure a new one. All that and more next on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We want to go straight to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. We are anticipating some remarks on a number of issues. Let's listen in.

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: ... and defend their sovereignty by joining the alliance. I think the process that we've seen in actually record time, first with Finland and now with Sweden, demonstrates that NATO's door is open, remains open, including to Ukraine, which will become a member of NATO.

This also underscores one of the many ways in which Putin's aggression against Ukraine has been an abject strategic failure for Russia. How it has in fact precipitated the very things that Putin sought to prevent. He wanted to shrink NATO.

[15:45:00]

All of this, it is now larger and getting larger still. He wanted to weaken NATO. It is stronger than it's ever been. All of this will, I think, come to an important inflection point when we get to the NATO Summit, the historic NATO Summit that we are very honored to host in Washington in July.

This is going to be, I think, the most ambitious summit since the end of the Cold War, showing NATO's adaptation to new challenges and new threats, whether it's Russia, whether it's very different ways, the PRC, the cyber domain, terrorism. And what you're seeing is an alliance that, as I said, is coming together in new ways and in stronger ways to make sure that it can deal effectively with those challenges.

And even as we're celebrating when we get to the NATO Summit, 75 years of its history, the real focus of the summit is going to be on the next 75 years and everything NATO has done to adapt and make itself, as it has been, indispensable to the defense and security of its members.

Some of those capabilities and some of that strength was on display as we kicked off the largest NATO military exercises since the end of the Cold War, Steadfast Defender, 90,000 personnel who are sending a very clear message. This alliance is ready and it is able to defend every square inch of NATO territory.

We discussed with the Secretary General NATO's unwavering support for Ukraine. Last week, NATO signed a $1.2 billion contract to produce 220,000 artillery shells. That's going to help allies restock their own arsenals, and it complements efforts by the United States, by the European Union, by Ukraine, to ramp up defense production. This will make NATO itself and all allies much more resilient for future threats as we move forward.

As all of us take on these challenges, and I want to emphasize, in the case of Ukraine, we've seen this very, very clearly, there's probably never been a better example of burden sharing in the history of the alliance and the partnerships that we have with different countries than we see when it comes to Ukraine. As I've mentioned before, the support that the United States has provided to Ukraine has been exceptional, about $75 billion over the last couple of years. But our partners and allies, notably our core NATO allies, have provided more than $110 billion over that same period of time.

And whether it's military support, whether it's economic support, whether it's humanitarian support, the burden sharing that we've seen in the case of Ukraine has been more than exemplary.

But in order to make sure that that continues, that all of us step up and do what's necessary to continue to ensure that Ukraine knows success and Russia knows strategic failure, it is vital that Congress pass the supplemental budget request the President's put before it. Without it, simply put, everything that Ukraine has achieved and that we've helped them achieve will be in jeopardy.

And absent that supplemental, we're going to be sending a strong and wrong message to all of our adversaries that we are not serious about the defense of freedom, the defense of democracy, and it will simply reinforce for Vladimir Putin that he can somehow outlast Ukraine and outlast us. Well, that's not going to be the case. We have to make sure that it's not the case.

Finally, let me just say that we have a lot of work to do over the next few months to prepare for the summit. I think we had today very good sessions with the Secretary General, and we'll be meeting shortly with the National Security Advisor and the Secretary of Defense over at the Pentagon to continue that work. I look forward to that and look forward to the weeks and months ahead as we prepare for NATO summit.

Jens, over to you.

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Thanks so much, Secretary Blinken, dear Tony. Thank you for hosting me here in Washington. It is always good to meet with you, and even more important given the dangers we face.

So let me begin by offering my deepest condolences for the U.S. troops killed and wounded in yesterday's drone attack in Jordan.

We see Iran continue to destabilize the region. Iran also bears responsibility for backing terrorists who attack ships in the Red Sea. Tehran's behavior reminds us of what a world without rules looks like. Unpredictable and dangerous, a world where our security becomes more expensive.

[15:50:00]

I welcome your tireless diplomacy, Secretary Blinken, to prevent further escalation of the war in Gaza, your efforts to alleviate human suffering, and your hard work towards a peaceful resolution.

Russia's brutal war against Ukraine is nearing the two-year mark, and a Russian victory would embolden Iran, North Korea, and China. That matters for Europe's security, and it matters for America's security. So supporting Ukraine serves U.S. interests. For a tiny fraction of annual defense spending, the United States has helped Ukraine destroy a major part of Russia's combat capacity, without placing a single American soldier in harm's way.

I welcome the clear commitment from President Biden and you to sustain U.S. support to Ukraine and to work with Congress to achieve that.

As you said, other Allies are also stepping up. In fact, what European NATO Allies and Canada provide, in terms of military, financial, and humanitarian aid, actually exceeds what the U.S. is providing. So this is truly a joint effort by all NATO Allies from both sides of the Atlantic. And I'm confident that all NATO Allies will continue to deliver, because supporting Ukraine is not charity. It is an investment in our own security.

President Putin started this war, and he could end it today if he stopped attacking a neighbor. The war could also end if Ukraine stopped defending itself. But that would not mean peace. It would mean Russian occupation. And occupation is not peace. A just peace will require President Putin to realize that he will not get what he wants on the battlefield.

Moscow must accept a negotiated solution where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent nation. What happens around the negotiating table is inextricably linked to the situation on the battlefield. So if we want a lasting just peace, we must provide Ukraine with more weapons and ammunition. Weapons to Ukraine is the path to peace.

Finally, we also discussed adapting our alliance for the future. In July, and for the next couple of days ...

KEILAR: All right, you were listening to the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. There, he was alongside Secretary of State Antony Blinken. And let's go back and listen, because we heard Blinken, but we weren't able to bring this to you as quickly as we have liked. Talking about this attack in the Middle East that took the lives of three service members. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLINKEN: First and foremost, I'm thinking of those who lost their lives, those who were wounded, their family members and their friends.

Every day, we have our men and women in uniform around the world who are putting their lives on the line for our security, for our freedom. I am, as always, humbled by their courage and their sacrifice.

From the outset, we've been very clear in warning that anyone looking to take advantage of conflict in the Middle East and try to expand it, don't do it.

We've taken steps to defend ourselves and to defend our partners, as well as to prevent escalation. And the President's been crystal clear. We will respond decisively to any aggression. And we will hold responsible the people who attacked our troops. We'll do so at a time and a place of our choosing.

At the same time, we remain focused on our core objectives in the region, both in terms of the conflict in Gaza and broader efforts to build truly durable peace and security.

To that end, I had an opportunity to meet today with the ...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: That was the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, describing condolences and his frustration with the situation in the Middle East and the loss of U.S. life in Jordan after this drone strike by what is believed to be an Iranian-backed militia. Obviously, we're going to stay on top of this developing story and bring you the very latest as we get it. We're going to take a quick break. We'll see you on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:59:10]

KEILAR: King Charles and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, are back at home recovering after being hospitalized. They both had surgeries at the same private clinic.

SANCHEZ: Now, the Kings was a planned corrective procedure, but a cloud of mystery remains about why Kate Middleton needed to undergo abdominal surgery. CNN Royal correspondent Max Foster is in London for us. Max, what are we learning about this?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's the King leaving the private clinic today, looking really well. The cameras were invited. I think the message here is that the King, the crown, is still strong, a statement saying he's rescheduled forthcoming public engagements to allow for a period of private recuperation.

We're not being told which home he's gone to, but we're not going to be seeing him in public for some time.

[16:00:00]

We haven't actually seen the Princess of Wales in public since Christmas Day, because she went into the same hospital about 13 days ago, and then she left today hidden from the cameras. We just saw a bunch of flowers in the car she was traveling in. She's now gone to Windsor, where she will recuperate for months. We don't know how long for. Prince William's off work as well, because he's supporting her, and we don't know when they're going to come back on duty either. So this was the last time we saw her. We probably won't see her for months longer.

And there is some mystery around what the operation was about, but the palace would argue it's just private information, I think.

SANCHEZ: Well, we hope that she's OK. Max Foster, thank you so much for that. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.